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Advisory Board Encore Shop

Joliet, IL (Jan. 25, 2007)—The Advisory Board raises funds for Silver Cross Hospital by operating a resale shop, called the Encore Shop, on Walnut Street just North of the hospital’s Keck Emergency Pavilion. Over the last four years alone, the Advisory Board has donated over $150,000 to purchase six beds for the Intensive care Unit, eight laptop computers for Home Health nurses, two surgery carts for the Arthur and Vera Smith Pavilion and a new pick-up truck to use to maintain the grounds of the hospital campus. The Advisory Board also donated to the Chapel renovation project, gave $41,000 for new dialysis equipment and an ICON-P cardiac software package for the LaVerne and Dorothy Brown Cardiovascular Institute at the hospital.

The Advisory Board has also completed a $56,000 pledge to fund the purchase of state-of-the art surgical equipment for two new surgical procedures including the VNUS Closure to treat varicose veins, which is used instead of traditional vein stripping, and Stretta, a new minimally invasive method to treat patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), the condition that causes chronic heartburn. The Stretta equipment allows the procedure to be completed in 45 minutes, with only a 1 to 2 hour recovery time following. The Board also raised funds for two blanket warmers for the Silver Cross Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit and breast biopsy equipment.

Further, in a mere 10 months the Advisory Board raised funds for the most advanced mammography diagnostic equipment. Then the Board selected to purchase the mammography processor to go with the diagnostic equipment.

In 1851, 15 women from the hospital's founding organization—Will County Union of King’s Daughters and Sons, were chosen to be the Board of Lady Managers. In 1935, they changed their name to the Advisory Board. Their mission was to raise money for construction and to advise on the formation of the hospital, which opened in 1895.

After many fund raising events, in 1961 the Advisory decided to open a resale shop, called the Encore Shop, in a two-story house across the street from the present Emergency Room. Friends, family, hospital employees and the community keep the Encore Shop in business through contributions of clothing, household items, toys, antiques and collectibles.

The Encore Shop is open Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and the first Saturday of the month from10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donations are welcome. For more information, call the Volunteer Services at Silver Cross Hospital at (815) 740-7117.

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* Physicians on Silver Cross Hospital’s Medical Staff have expertise in their areas of practice to meet the needs of patients seeking their care. These physicians are independent practitioners on the Medical Staff and are not the agents or employees of Silver Cross Hospital. They treat patients based upon their independent medical judgment and they bill patients separately for their services.